Senator Tim Golden of Valdosta is serving his seventh term in the State Senate representing the 8th District, including Brooks and Lowndes counties and portions of Cook and Thomas counties.

Golden serves as Secretary of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for the annual state budget, and as a senior member of the influential Senate Finance Committee, which is charged with writing the state’s tax laws. Golden also serves on the Insurance & Labor, Higher Education and Government Oversight Committees. He is co-chairman of the special Study Committee on the Future of Manufacturing.

Georgia Trend magazine has included Golden in its annual listing of the "100 Most Influential Georgians" for both 2009 and 2010. He was one of only four State Senators named to that prestigious list in each of those years.

During the past three years, for his work promoting health care issues, he received both the Georgia Hospital Association Legislative Leadership Award, and the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians “Champion of Family Medicine” Award. In recognition of his work on children health care issues, the Georgia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatricians named him their “Legislator of the Year” in 2007.

Known as a strong advocate for Georgia business, Golden was honored with a 2008 Legislative Achievement Award by the Georgia Retail Association. He was recognized by the Georgia State Chamber of Commerce as “Legislator of the Year” for 2007, and the group called it a “Lifetime Achievement” award for his long time advocacy of business interests in the General Assembly. That same year, the Georgia Industry Association made Golden their “Champion of Industry” for his efforts to promote manufacturing issues in Georgia.

During the 2008 session, Golden introduced and passed legislation creating the “Made in Georgia” initiative, a campaign to promote the sale of products manufactured in this state. Working with his Senate colleagues, he helped secure approximately $18 million in the state budget for fiscal year 2009 in direct appropriations for the communities of the 8th District.

In previous sessions, Senator Golden introduced and passed legislation that authorizes employers to conduct pre-employment, on-site, oral testing for substance abuse -- strengthening Georgia's "Drugs Don't Work" drug-free workplace program. Golden has been a champion of the Drugs Don't Work Program having passed legislation through the years to expand and strengthen this program.  It allows companies to save 7.5% on their workers compensation policy by maintaining a drug free work environment for their employees. 

He also sponsored legislation that established the tax check-off system for and raised awareness of the Georgia National Guard Family Foundation fund to support the families of the troops serving in the war on terrorism.

Prior to his election to the Senate, Golden served four terms in the Georgia House of Representatives before his election to the State Senate in 1998. Golden served as an aide to former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn and was a long-time aide to former U.S. Congressman Charles Hatcher. He also served as Staff Director for the U.S. House Small Business Subcommittee on Energy and Agriculture in Washington, D.C.   

While a member of the House of Representatives, Golden served on the Ways and Means Committee, the Banks and Banking Committee, and the University System of Georgia Committee. During his service in the House, Golden earned a reputation for being an ardent supporter of education. In 1993 he led a successful three year battle in the General Assembly to make Valdosta State a "regional university" and was honored with the school's "Distinguished Alumnus" award that same year.  He has secured over $75 million in construction projects at Valdosta State.   A supporter of technical education as well, Golden has secured over $35 million in bond projects at South West Georgia Technical College in Thomasville and Valdosta Technical College in Valdosta since 1999.

Rural health care concerns spurred Golden to author the "Rural Georgia Physicians Shortage Act" in 1995. It provides tax credits to physicians who choose to practice in one of Georgia's rural counties. Golden was named the "1995 Legislator of the Year" by the Georgia Academy of Family Physicians for his efforts, and in 2006, the Academy recognized Golden as one of three “Champions of Family Medicine” in the State Legislature.  The Valdosta Daily Times has named him one of five south Georgians who were "unsung heroes" for tirelessly working for the benefit of others.

In 1996, Golden introduced and passed the "Georgia Unemployment Insurance Tax Relief Act."  It was the first of three bills he authored over a three year period that reduced employers’ taxes by over $500 million. In 1999, Golden joined with Governor Roy Barnes and Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond in passing a bill instituting a moratorium on unemployment taxes that saved Georgia employers another $1 billion over the next four years. In recognition of his work, the National Federation of Independent Business presented Golden with their top award in both1997 and 1998, naming him the "Guardian of Small Business" at the Georgia Capitol. It is one of the reasons the Georgia Retail Association described him as the "Voice for Small Business" in Atlanta in 2000.

 In 2000, Golden introduced a Senate Resolution calling on the Georgia House of Representatives to pass a statewide "Sales Tax Holiday.”  Former Rep. Ron Borders (D-Valdosta) introduced the tax bill at the same time in the House where all tax bills originate.  In 2002, then Governor Roy Barnes embraced the idea and Georgia passed its first "sales tax holiday" allowing working families to buy clothes for their children exempt from state sales tax.   It has proven to be a boost for both working families and Georgia retailers

Golden graduated from Valdosta High School in 1972. In 1977, Golden graduated from Valdosta State University with a degree in American History and Political Science.

Senator Golden is a successful businessman who founded and sold Golden Printing of Valdosta in 1999.   He is currently co-owner of Beacon Hill Financial, a mortgage brokerage company located in Valdosta.  Always active in his community, Golden has served several terms as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Valdosta-Lowndes County Family YMCA.  He has served on the Valdosta Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; the Board of the Valdosta Methodist Youth Home; the Valdosta State Alumni Board and the March of Dimes. He was a member of the prestigious Leadership Georgia program, Class of 1987.

Senator Golden is married to the former Ellen Stewart, an attorney with Allen, Kopet & Associates in Valdosta. They have a son, Seth, and they attend Park Avenue United Methodist Church in Valdosta.

Accomplishments

• Led fight to make Valdosta State University "Regional University" - 1993
  
• Secured over $70 million in capital improvements at VSU since 1995
  (1994: $9.7 million-Brookwood plaza;  1997: $26.0 million – Science Bldg.
  1998:  $3.3 million-Language Pathology Bldg.; 1999: $10 million – Recreation Bldg.
  1999:  $14.4 million – Library expansion; 2000: $2.7 million – Brookwood expansion and 2002: $4.8 million for Nevins renovation…)
  
• Key supporter of the Hope Scholarship Program since its inception.  HOPE has helped over 25,000 deserving students in the 8th Senatorial District attend tech schools or universities since 1993 totaling over $63 million in assistance.
  
• Authored and passed "Rural Georgia Physicians Shortage Act" - 1995
  
• Authored and passed "Georgia Unemployment Insurance Tax Relief Act" - in 1996, 1997, and 1998 along with the moratorium in 1999 that saved Georgia employers over $1.5 billion in UI taxes from 1996 through 2003.
  
• Passed Self-Employed Health Care Tax Cut legislation in 1998 saving self-employed individuals $8 million in state taxes.
  
• Secured over $4 million in One Georgia grants for Regal Marine, American Furniture, American Bush Drilling, among others creating hundreds of Jobs in 8th District.
  
• Secured $500,000 for rail spur for Letica Corporation saving Jobs.
  
• Sponsored or co-sponsored many bills establishing and expanding the "Drugs Don't Work Program" for Georgia employers.  The DDW legislation saves Georgia employers 7.5% on their workers compensation premiums by becoming a DDW site.
  
• Funded "Mildred Hunter" recreation center - $1.3 million
  
• Funded "Annette Howell Turner" Arts Center - $500,000
  
• Funded "Valdosta Lowndes Conference Center" improvements - $1 million
  
• Helped lead effort in State Senate to enact the "Sales Tax Holiday" legislation every year since 2002, to help working families and children as well as the retail sector.
  
• Secured $300,000 for the Valdosta-Lowndes County Land Bank authority
  
• Has worked diligently to improve technical education by expanding opportunities at both technical colleges in 8th District with over $40 million in capital projects:
  
  Valdosta Technical College
  1995:  $7.7 million for administration building
  2000:  $800,000 for land acquisition and 2004: $16.7 million for classroom building.
  
  Adel Workforce Center for Valdosta Technical College:  $500,000 in 2001.
  
  Southwest Georgia Technical College
  1999: $2.4 million for renovations
  2000:  $300,000 for land acquisition
  2002: $11.8 million for classroom building addition.
  
  Among others ...